


To the Victors, the Victims

by virdant



Series: Tumblr Prompts [6]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Creatures, Gen, Inspired by Frankenstein, M/M, Scientist Will Graham, Sea Captain Hannibal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 10:39:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17282516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/virdant/pseuds/virdant
Summary: On arctic waters, Captain Hannibal Lecter fishes out a creature for on-board scientist Dr. Will Graham to investigate.-From heartturnedtoporcelain and parkofmydreams prompt of a Hannibal sea captain fantasy with Will as a scientist on board exploring the arctic.





	To the Victors, the Victims

**Author's Note:**

> Alanna and Aga very reasonably had an idea for Hannibal as a sea captain and Will as a scientist on-board exploring the arctic, and I immediately thought of Frankenstein for completely unrelated reasons and the result is this 20 minute vignette.

The monster was a creature of flesh and bone and steam, fished out from the waters of the arctic. The captain had ordered it brought on deck, and summoned Dr. Graham to investigate. They stood in the dimly lit cabin now, just the two of them and the creature.

Will closed his eyes.

This was not the first time Captain Hannibal Lecter had fished a creature from the depths and brought it to the scientist on board. Other scientists had an array of tools that they preferred to use—lenses and scalpels and syringes full of medicines stored in easily breakable glass vials. But William Graham was not like those other scientists. The first time Captain Lecter had summoned Will to investigate a creature, Will had entered the room in nothing but his canvas jacket, hands jammed into his trousers. He had studied the creature, closed his eyes, and then detailed the entire life and death of the creature, as if he had lived the life and died the death.

“Fascinating,” the captain had not said, even though he had thought it as such. 

Instead, the captain had made a note of pure empathy in his mind, starting a fresh notebook just for Dr. William Graham, who had chosen to be stationed aboard their arctic expedition because it meant he would be far from the crowds of the city. He had understood, in that moment, what had driven Dr. Graham to choose an isolated ship in the middle of the sea over the teaming crowds brushing against each other, a school of fish, perpetually distracting in the sunlight of Dr. Graham’s too keen understanding.

No, this was not the first time Hannibal had found a creature in the sea and summoned the scientist to investigate.

But this was a different day, a different circumstance, a different creature, and Hannibal settled in his place.

To watch the creature stir.

To watch its jaw spread wide, hydraulics pumping, revealing teeth made of bones sharpened by the tides—

To watch it lunge towards Dr. Graham—

And Will Graham reeled back, just for a moment. Then he steeled himself. He reached. He grasped the jaw with his bare hands.

And pulled. 

Captain Lecter watched, this systemic dissection of the creature that he had found for Will Graham, and when it was done, the carcass stripped to its bones, he said, “Well, Dr. Graham?”

And Will Graham, heart in his hands, said with utmost certainty, “A creature unlike any we’ve ever seen. One might even call it man-made.” And he met Hannibal’s eyes, and he knew.

**Author's Note:**

> want to talk writing? [follow me on twitter](https://twitter.com/virdant)


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